Citi Professional Credit Card Review

Posted On: May 25, 2006

Author: stevejk
Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 9:53 am
Post subject: Switching from Citi Professional to Citi Professional Cash

Back when the Citi Professional card was the Card Ratings featured card of the month, I signed up for it. (Hopefully Curtis will see the finder’s fee check ) It also helped that it included a 10,000 Thank You bonus ($100 gift card) after making the first purchase. Plus it is 3 points per dollar (3%) for purchases at car rental, gas stations, office supply stores, and restaurants, and 1 point for everything else. The restaurant rewards was my main objective, for when my Discover Restaurant rewards card ends in July, but the office supply store bonus and the $100 bonus helps too.

The downside is if you want cash, it has to be in $100 increments. But there is a 100,000 point ($1000) limit per calendar year.

After receiving the card in the mail, I discovered the Citi Professional Cash card. This pays 1% and 3% cash back, in $50 increments, but with a $500 limit per calendar year.

Here is what I want to do, and I wonder if anyone has tried it before…

Make a small purchase to get the 10,000 TY points. Redeem for a gift card that I can use, since cash does not seem to be an option. Then call to convert to the Citi Professional Cash, even if that means losing what few TY points I have left. Then I can get 3% cash back at restaurants and office supply stores, etc. and still have the $100 gift card.

Sound like an idea?

Author: maddybeagle
Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 11:00 am
Post subject:

I just do a 1 buck online payment to my phone bill on these required purchase promos.

Author: stevejk
Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 1:13 pm
Post subject:

Unfortunately, that didn’t occur to me until I saw your reply and I had already charged lunch to the card. Oh well, it wasn’t an expensive lunch. Now to wait for my points.

Also, I lied in my original post. To get cash, i.e., a statement credit, the rate of return is less than $0.01 per point. Getting a $100 gift card for 10,000 points from a merchant one frequents is the better deal.

Author: Board Monitor
Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 7:34 am
Post subject: Citi Professional Credit Card Review

Quote:
Back when the Citi Professional card was the Card Ratings featured card of the month, I signed up for it.

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